


Old Friends, New Feelings

by sunnyclow



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Childhood Friends, Friends to Lovers, M/M, ashe big bang
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 23:47:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29234004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunnyclow/pseuds/sunnyclow
Summary: Ashe and Yuri used to be the best of friends, until they lost touch when Yuri moved away. Years later, they reunite thanks to Yuri's makeup videos and continue where they left off. It brings up feelings Yuri buried long ago. Does he finally act on them? Or will Ashe be the one to confess first?
Relationships: Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert/Yuris Leclair | Yuri Leclerc
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10
Collections: Ashe Big Bang





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! I was so happy to join Ashe Big Bang and write fic for my favorite boy. I've been thinking about Ashe and Yuri since they introduce Yuri, mentioned they were childhood friends, and yet we got no supports so I turned to writing fic about them. I have some art from the wonderful Bringmemisery who you can find here and on twitter I'm going to post that art in the chapter it comes up in. It's wonderful and I can't wait for you all to see it. 
> 
> Well enjoy!

Ashe relaxed in the chair as he slowly read the paragraph and turned the page. Sometimes he couldn’t believe that the man who caught him pick pocketing ended up adopting him and his siblings, Emma and David. Lonato may have been strict at times, but he was also kind. Ashe even gained a big brother in Christophe, who loved Ashe and his siblings. Things worked out better than he could have ever imagined. 

Ashe started on the next page when there was a soft knock on the door. Lonato walked in with a small smile at the book in Ashe’s lap before his face fell back into his passive stance again. “Ashe, can you accompany me outside? There’s someone I’d like for you to meet.” 

Ashe closed his book. “Sure thing, coming!” He got out of the chair and walked over to Lonato. 

“One of my associates has moved next door. He recently adopted a boy who’s around your age. He doesn’t have any siblings, so I think it would be a good idea to get to know him. Maybe you can show him around the neighborhood.” Lonato explained on their way down the stairs.

Ashe perked up, there would be another boy in the neighborhood that he could play with. He hoped they could be friends. Ashe was still getting used to living in such an affluent neighborhood after being in the orphanage that he hasn’t been able to make a lot of friends yet. Christophe told him that it would take some time, but it would happen. 

Ashe nodded. “I’ll show him around. Maybe we can go to my favorite bookstore with Christophe.”

“Sounds like a good idea.” Lonato gave a small smile before he knelt in front of him to fix his hair and straighten his outfit. “Remember to introduce yourself, you may also invite him to take a tour around our backyard.” After he finished fixing Ashe up he nodded and stood back up. “Let’s go.” 

Ashe followed Lonato out the door to the garden. On their way towards the rose bushes Ashe saw a boy with purple hair standing next to an older man who was talking to Christophe while Emma and David stood next to him. The boy looked over and grinned when he spotted Ashe. Ashe returned the grin as he waved at him. Things were heading off to a good start already. 

“Good afternoon Rowe.” Lonato said.

Rowe nodded. “Good afternoon Lonato, I see that you have adopted more children.”

“Yes, I decided it was time to grow my family. This is my daughter Emma and my sons David and Ashe.” Lonato said.

“I have adopted a son as well. This is Yuri, Yuri meet Lonato and his family. I’m going to be working with Lonato, so I want you to get to know them.” Rowe said.

Yuri nodded. “I will. It’s nice to meet you guys.”

Emma and David stood close to Christophe as they waved to Rowe. Ashe nodded as he slowly held out his hand to the boy in front of him. “My name is Ashe. It’s nice to meet you.”

“My name is Yuri. It’s nice to meet you too.” Yuri took Ashe’s hand and shook it. He looked over at Rowe. “Can I play with him now?”

Rowe nodded. “Yes, you may play with him.”

“Thank you.” Yuri turned to Ashe with a grin. “Come on, let’s go! We can play hide and seek!”

Ashe smiled. “Okay!” He followed behind Yuri where they played different games throughout the day. After a while David and Emma joined them in their games, until they had to come in for dinner. Ashe noticed how Yuri wasn’t shy about meeting any of them. It took Ashe their third game of hide and seek for him to start warming up to Yuri. He found out that they were going to the same school too. Ashe was so excited to have a friend, especially one as outgoing as Yuri. They finished the night reading different stories, until it was time for Rowe to pick him up. 

Ashe gripped the end of his shirt while Yuri got ready to go. “You’re gonna come back to play, right?”

Yuri nodded. “Don’t worry I’ll be back. I’ll ask Rowe when I can come back over, okay?”

“Okay!” 

Yuri opened his mouth to say something when Lonato and Rowe walked in. 

“Are you ready?” Rowe asked.

“I’m ready,” Yuri walked over to Rowe, he turned around and waved to Ashe. “See you later!”

“Bye!” Ashe happily waved back. He gripped Lonato’s pants leg as he watched Yuri get into the fancy black car with Rowe. 

Lonato reached down and patted Ashe’s head. “I’m glad you enjoyed your time together. Don’t worry, he’ll be back to play soon.”

Ashe looked up at him. “Really? He’s gonna come back?”

Lonato gave a reassuring smile. “He will, I promise.”

Ashe smiled. “I can’t wait to see him again!”

Lonato chuckled on their way back inside. “I’ll be sure to let him know.”

After their first playdate they spend more time together. Since Yuri went to school with Ashe the days were easier now that he had Yuri who would be there to stop any bullies who tried to do something to him. It wasn’t long before they were inseparable. They had lunch together, they played together, and went home together too. Some days Lonato picked them up, other days Rowe did, though they always finished their homework together. Even when Ashe and Yuri joined different clubs at their school, they always came together at the end of the day. Yuri continued to protect Ashe at school while Ashe let Yuri relax when they hung out together at home. They liked having a place where they could hang out and relax after the school day.

Throughout the years Ashe and Yuri became closer friends. It wasn’t unusual for Yuri to spend the night on the weekends or whenever Rowe had a business trip. Ashe loved the nights they spent trying to stay up to finish watching a movie while Christophe kept watch on the outside in case Lonato walked down the hall. Or when they convinced Lonato to let them order pizza and eat in while watching a movie. Ashe found it amazing how Yuri could talk his way out of a lot of situations. Ashe didn’t have the same sort of skill, but he was able to sneak Yuri some food whenever he ended up in trouble. The teachers always considered Ashe to be a very good young man who worked hard in his classes, so they didn’t think twice when he walked into the room where Yuri had detention to drop some homework off for him. 

Ashe had someone who knew how difficult it could be when someone tried to point out how much he’s an outsider. He knew that he wasn’t truly a rich kid, that his situation was something that he’d never imagine would ever happen, yet somehow it did. Lonato and Christophe never treated him any differently even when people would mention Ashe and his siblings as his adopted children, Lonato always corrected them. Christophe would correct that person too, making sure to let them know that he has three younger siblings now. 

Whenever someone tried to bully him about it Ashe let them know that he was aware of his new family life, but he wasn’t going to apologize for it. Ashe almost got into many fights if it was for Yuri or some of the other kids around standing up for him. Later on Ashe normally pickpocketed from that bully and hid the item somewhere in the school. Still, he was glad that he had someone who knew what it felt like to be treated as an outsider. One day Ashe waited for Yuri after school. His tutoring class and Yuri’s detention got out at the same time, so he asked the driver if he could take them home together. Ashe sat at one of the benches outside the school while he waited for Yuri. He turned the page to the next chapter when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Ashe looked up to see Yuri smiling behind him.

“Hey, I’m all ready to go now.”

“Great! Let me call the driver.” Ashe placed his book away then grabbed his phone. He called the driver then put the phone back in his pocket. “He’s going to be here in a minute.”

“Good, I’m ready for this day to end.”

“Yeah I’m glad that it’s a Friday.”

“Me too.”

Ashe messed with the end of his bag, Yuri took a seat next to him and pushed a strand away from his face. They watched the birds jump around before they flew away. 

“So...um...how come you fought that kid? I don’t know what he did, but I never saw you jump on someone like that before.”

“I found out that there was a plan to beat you up, take your stuff, your clothes, and trap you in one of the rooms so at the end of the day you would have to go home in your underwear. One of the older kids told me about it, so I took care of it myself.”

“Y-You did?”

Yuri nodded. “I wanted to let them know that no one is going to mess with you. Not with me here. We’re friends and friends look out for each other. I know you’ve been stealing their stuff and putting it in different places.” Yuri grinned. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.”

“I never take anything too expensive, just things they might need before class is all.” Ashe gave a sheepish smile. “Thanks Yuri.”

“Anytime Ashe.”

They talked about the movie they were going to watch with Christophe, David, and Emma that weekend while they waited for Ashe’s driver. Ashe wouldn’t mind going back to some of his old ways if it meant that Yuri would be protected. 

*~*~*

As they grew older their friendship continued to grow stronger. Any new kid that came to the school knew not to mess with Ashe and Yuri since something always happened if someone did. There were some kids they got along with, especially after Ashe joined archery while Yuri joined fencing. They started to show up whenever the other had a tournament then they would go out to celebrate afterwards. It wasn’t long before Yuri became a familiar face around the Gaspard house. Ashe wanted to visit Rowe’s house, but Yuri told him that Rowe had too many rules and he wasn’t as nice as Lonato. Ashe dropped it after Lonato told him that Rowe’s house wasn’t kid friendly. Besides, he liked when Yuri came to visit and he always looked forward to their weekend hangouts. 

Together with Yuri, Ashe was able to get through elementary school. Towards the end of their sixth grade year life at school became easier. He hoped that seventh grade would be a little easier too. However, when he brought it up to Yuri one day Yuri didn’t look too happy about it. Yuri paused the video game they were playing and placed the controller aside.

“Ashe...I’m not going to be with you next year.”

Ashe felt a knot form in his stomach. “What? Why?”

Yuri sighed. “Rowe got a job managing another company in another city. We’re going to move at the end of the summer. I told him that I don’t want to go, but I don’t have a choice. I have to go.”

“Isn’t there anything you can do? Can’t you stay here with us?”

“Rowe said I can’t. He said that I have to go with him.” Yuri laid back on the floor as he looked up at the ceiling. “I don’t want to go. I want to go to school with you too.”

“It’s not going to be the same without you.” Ashe joined him on the floor. “Do you know your new address? Maybe I can send some things to you? Oh! Lonato got me a computer for my room. I have my own email address too, maybe we can keep in contact that way too.”

“I’ll give you my new address and my email too. School is going to be boring without you giving me snacks for detention.”

“I’ll ask Lonato if we can cook dinner with the chef before you go. How long do you have before you move away?”

“I’m leaving at the end of summer.”

“Then we’re going to fit in as much fun as we can before you go!”

Yuri grinned. “Sounds like fun.”

Ashe returned it as he turned back to stare up at the ceiling. He couldn’t believe that Yuri would be leaving so soon. He didn’t know how he would be able to go through school without him. It looked like he would have to find a way, still it wouldn’t be the same. He would just have to do his best to make sure that Yuri had a great time while he was still in town. 

*~*~*

When summer began Ashe did his best to keep true to his word. Lonato let them have use of the kitchen more often, Christophe joined them for fun when Lonato or their driver wasn’t around, and they played with David and Emma any chance they could get. Ashe may have enjoyed the time that they played together, but he hated that each day inched closer and closer to Yuri leaving. Would he ever see him again? Would he find someone who would help him fight the bullies when they came around? Then what about Yuri? Would there be anyone to help him when he got into detention? Who would hang out with him? Ashe didn’t want him to leave. He tried to keep every day close to his heart, he kept a momento from every outing so he could look back on it. 

On days when it was raining Ashe and Yuri stayed inside to watch movies. Ashe didn’t understand why he noticed the way Yuri grew his hair out or how he would change into something different whenever they hung out together. He tried not to think too much about it, anytime he did his heart started to race and his face felt warm so he stopped. Still, it didn’t stop him from thinking about Yuri on the nights he didn’t sleep over. He had such pretty eyes and his hair always looked so soft whenever he brushed it when they got ready for the day. Ashe didn’t want to bring up anything when Yuri was going to leave. So he would push his feelings down and enjoy his time together with Yuri. 

Everyday inched closer and closer to the time for Yuri to leave. Yuri stayed with Ashe the last week before he moved. His room was already packed so he didn’t have to stay at Rowe’s place while the movers were there. They spent time hanging out, watching movies, playing games, and cooking. On the last day Lonato let them buy whatever food they wanted and he let them stay up much later. It was Yuri’s last day, it was the least he could do. 

Ashe looked over at Yuri after they finished their second movie. He didn’t know what to say to Yuri, all the words in his heads were jumbled, though he’s not sure if it was because of his sadness over Yuri’s last day in town or how nice his hair looked. Yuri looked back and gave him a grin. 

“Did you want to pick the movie now?”

Ashe shook his head with a sheepish smile. “Just thinking about how tomorrow you’ll be gone. I mean I don’t want you to leave, but summer ended really fast didn’t it?”

“It really did.” Yuri tucked a strand of hair behind his ear. “Hey Ashe, can we try something during the next movie?”

“Sure, what is it?”

Yuri looked down at the dvd case in his hand before he looked over at Ashe again. “...Did you want to hold hands? Like the people we saw in the last movie?”

Ashe flushed as he messed with the end of his hoodie. “R-Really? You won’t find it weird?”

Yuri shook his head. “Your family won’t disturb us for the rest of the night. Rowe will call when he comes to get me in the morning and Lonato will knock on the door when he’s here, so let’s try it. Only if you want to, I get it if you don’t.”

“No I do! I really do! I just didn’t know if you wanted to.”

“I do.”

“Okay! We can hold hands when we watch the movie.”

“Great, let me go put it on.” Yuri got up and placed the movie in the dvd player. He walked back over and took his seat next to Ashe then hit play on the remote. When the movie started playing, Yuri reached over and took Ashe’s hand. Ashe held his hand back, his mind not focusing on the movie as much at how warm Yuri’s hand was. He didn’t know if this was something that friends did, though he didn’t think too hard about it. He really liked holding Yuri’s hand, maybe he could hold onto Yuri’s hand for a little longer. That night Yuri and Ashe fell asleep hand in hand. 

The next morning Ashe couldn’t push down the lump in his throat when Rowe’s car arrived to pick Yuri up. Ashe gave Yuri the biggest hug he could muster, he got close to crying when Yuri returned the hug. 

Lonato cleared his throat and reached over to pat Ashe’s shoulder. “It’s time for Yuri to go Ashe.”

“O-Okay…” Ashe stepped back and quickly rubbed his eyes. 

Yuri gave Ashe a small smile then turned to Lonato. He bowed at him, sweeping his hand in a grand gesture.“Thank you for letting me spend time in your home. I’ll never forget it.”

Lonato nodded. “You’re always welcome, Yuri.”

“Keep in touch.” Christophe said. He waved with David and Emma who hadn’t stopped their tears since Yuri told him it was time to go.

“Bye Yuri!” Ashe quickly waved at him.

Yuri returned the wave. “Bye Ashe! Thanks for everything.” He gave another smile before he turned towards the car. He gave one more wave then got inside. 

Ashe couldn’t stop his tears when the car started then slowly pulled out of their driveway. He watched the car, until it disappeared down the street. Lonato handed Ashe his handkerchief and patted his back. “Let’s go order out today. What do you say, Ashe?”

Ashe nodded in between his hiccups. “O-Okay…” He wiped his eyes on his way inside. Ashe didn’t know if he would ever see Yuri again. There was a small flicker of hope in his heart that he would see his friend again one day. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ashe's life has changed throughout the years, but one of the good things has been the friends he's made along the way. One of those friends will get him in contact with an old one, which might also open a new career for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are at chapter 2! I'm going to see if I can post chapters every other day until I finish. Thanks for the support already! 
> 
> Enjoy!

Throughout the years the emails between Ashe and Yuri started to dwindle down, until they stopped. There were some times Ashe wondered if he could have sent some more or not have let some messages linger longer in his box. He didn’t mean to! But between his place on the archery team, starting high school, helping his new friends, and working with his family there were times he would forget to get on his computer. The last email Yuri sent it sounded like everything was going well for him during his junior year. Ashe responded, but he didn’t get an answer. He hoped that things continued going well for him. 

Ashe didn’t have long to think about his old friend, especially after he graduated from high school. He entered Garrech Mach University with Annette and Mercedes, who he knew from high school, where they introduced him to a group of people that made his time at the dorm, a fun one. He didn’t feel out of place when he was with them. There was kind Dimitri, son to the owner of a famous restaurant chain, where Ashe spent many nights with him when they couldn’t sleep. 

Sylvain who he thought was a slacker, until he helped him pass his chemistry class, he knew there was something deeper underneath. Dedue who was an amazing chef, wonderful in the greenhouse, and very knowledgeable when it came to environmental science. Felix was a little bit harder to get closer to, though that didn’t stop Ashe from trying. After he realized that there was some softness underneath his shell, he got to see a different side to Felix. Ashe knew Ingrid from their literature class, he never turned down the chance to hang out with her. She was a determined, kind person who Ashe loved watching fantasy shows with her. 

Ashe didn’t know where he would be without them. They became some of his closest friends, along with Caspar, Linhardt, and Petra. He didn’t know how much he needed their support, until one day Ashe received a phone call from Christophe, letting him know that he took Lonato to the hospital after he found him passed out in the kitchen. Christophe mentioned that Lonato talked about being tired, but he thought it was Lonato overworking himself again. A trait that seemed to be passed down throughout their family. However, it took out to be more serious than they thought. 

Luckily, they were able to catch the tumor before it grew, but it resulted in Lonato retiring sooner than he wanted. He gave his company to Christophe, though that meant Christophe couldn’t be there at home in case Lonato needed him. Ashe made the decision to quit his job and move back home. David and Emma offered to return home, so Ashe wouldn’t be overworked, but he reassured them that he could handle it. Ashe already graduated from college. He only had a part time job in a bookstore that he didn’t mind leaving for awhile to help Christophe with Lonato. Besides, he was trying to figure out what he should do next in his life and career. He would take the time out to plan his next steps. Eight months later it looked as if Lonato was getting better. His body responded positively to the treatments. Ashe hoped that it was a trend that would continue. 

Ashe checked his phone on the way to Lonato’s room. It looked like there were some new messages in their group chat that he would have to check out later. Now it was time to check on Lonato, make sure that he took his medicine, and see how much he ate. Ashe placed his phone back in his pocket on the way to Lonato’s room. He walked up to the door and knocked on it before he walked in.

“Hi Lonato! How are you today?” Ashe asked as he started to gather up his plates and cups from the morning and lunch.

Lonato looked up from his book. “Hello Ashe, I’m doing alright.” He closed the book and placed it to the side. “How are you?”

“I’m doing good. How was the food today? Was it good? Was it easy to digest? Do I need to make anything else?”

“Everything was very good. I was thinking about having that soup again for dinner.”

“Sure thing, there’s still a lot left over so I can make some more. I can make something you need for breakfast or leave something for lunch?”

“No, it’s alright, Christophe can make some things if I need it.” Lonato reached over and placed a hand on Ashe’s arm. “Ashe, please, take a break, Christophe will be here soon you don’t have to stay.” 

Ashe gave him a reassuring smile. “It’s alright. After everything you’ve done for me, it’s the least I can do for you.” He patted his arm, stood up and started gathering his plates. Once everything was arranged on the tray, he walked over to the door. “I’ll wait until Chris comes so we can talk about dinner. You relax and I’ll be back.”

Lonato nodded. “Ashe, thank you, if there’s anything you need please let me know.” He settled against the pillows and reached over for a glass of water. 

“I will!” Ashe juggled the tray, until he opened the door. He walked down to the kitchen as he looked over how much Lonato ate. _It looked like Lonato ate more today. I’ll let Christophe now when he comes over._

Ashe was in the middle of cleaning the dishes when Christophe walked through the door. 

“Hey Ashe! How is dad doing today?”

“He’s fine. He ate a little more than he did yesterday, so that’s good. He’s doing well with the solid food, so I was thinking maybe we could make some chicken for him. Nothing too heavy with seasoning or flavoring, but something that’s light on taste that he can still enjoy.” Ashe said.

Christophe nodded. “Sounds good. Let me go change and I can help with prep.” 

“Okay, I’ll go get everything ready.” Ashe walked over to the fridge when Christophe walked out the room. 

Lately, it looked like Lonato was getting better. He wasn’t as weak anymore. The tumor hadn’t shown any signs of returning and he returned to many of his old hobbies. The nurse let them know that Lonato’s last doctor’s appointment went well, he was on the road to recovery and would be back to walking around soon. It settled Ashe’s nerves, he remembered being so worried during the times when he would only take a few sips of soup and a few sips for a glass of water. Then there were the times Lonato slept so long that Ashe checked to make sure that he hadn’t slipped away when he dozed off. Now that he was doing better, Ashe’s stomach wasn’t in knots anymore, he was able to sleep better too.

Ashe started cutting up the chicken when Christophe walked back into the kitchen in sweatpants and a college t-shirt. 

“Alright, dad is feeling much better, that's good. The nurse told me that dad can probably go on more walks soon so he isn’t spending so much time in bed.”

“That’s wonderful news, let me know when he wants to start taking walks. Oh, can you hand me the olive oil? I’m gonna use that and a pinch of seasoning salt so it won’t be too flavorless.”

“No problem,” Christophe opened the closest cabinet and grabbed the olive oil. “Here you go.” He placed the bottle next to him and leaned against the counter. Ashe thanked him then started to work on the chicken.

“So Ashe, me and dad were talking, we agreed that you can take the rest of the night off after you finish dinner. It’s been awhile since you hung out with your friends right? You can go have some fun, I’ll take it over from here.” Christophe said.

Ashe looked up. “Are you sure? You know I don’t mind being here to help you guys.” 

“We do appreciate it, but we know it’s been awhile since you’ve gone out. You have done a lot for us, can we do this for you?”

“If you’re sure you don’t need me I’ll finish this up then I’ll go meet my friends for dinner.”

“Great! I’ll be sure to let dad know, he wants to pay for dinner.”

“He doesn’t have to. It’s bad enough that he’s been helping me since I took time off of work, I still have enough for dinner.”

“You know he wants to, it’s his way of thanking you. Then again if you don’t want him to pay, maybe I could? I feel bad that you had to quit your job to help.”

“It’s fine, between my savings and Lonato I had more than enough to get by.”

“Okay, just wanted to make sure you got it. Sorry, if I’m asking too many questions I just want to let you know that it won’t be long before you can get back to work.”

“You’re fine Christophe, I’ll let you know when I go back to work.” Ashe placed the chicken in the oven before he walked over to the sink to wash his hands. “Okay, chicken in the oven! I used chicken thighs so it should still be good for him. Are you sure I don’t need to prep anything else?”

Christope shook his head. “Nope, I got it from here.”

“Okay, well, I’ll go let Lonato know that I’ll be leaving soon. Is there anything that you want me to bring back?”

Christophe smiled. “Hmm, dessert? I’m not too picky about what you choose.”

“Alright! I’ll be right back.” Ashe returned the smile then walked out of the kitchen. He had thought about getting back to work, though he had no idea what he wanted to do. Sure, he graduated from college and he really enjoyed his previous job at a restaurant, but he had been so involved in helping out his family that now he forgot what he wanted to do. Maybe it would come back to him soon.

*~*~*

Ashe wasn’t able to convince Lonato not to pay for the night. He didn’t have the heart to fight him on it after he handed him a card. He grabbed his stuff, said goodbye to Christophe, then he was on his way to the Italian restaurant that Sylvain told him they would be meeting. Ashe couldn’t stop the happy jump in his heart from how quick Sylvain sent him the directions. He looked forward to seeing all of them too. 

After Ashe left his car with the valet, he walked inside and looked around for Sylvain when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see Sylvain behind him.

“Hey Sylvain!”

“Hey Ashe! Good to see you! It’s been awhile, I’m glad you were able to make it today. Come on, we’re in the back.” Sylvain gestured to the back. 

Ashe nodded as he followed behind him. “Do we have a room or a booth?”

“A room, you know Dimitri doesn’t do anything small. He got excited that our schedules matched up and we could all meet for dinner. He’s going to be really happy to see you.”

“I can’t wait to see him too. How have you been?”

“I’ve been doing good, just really busy at work lately. I’m sure that it’s going to be going down soon, it’s just really cut into my dating time.”

“You’re not trying to date three people at the same time again, are you?”

“No, I learned from that, now I do it one at a time.”

Ashe shook his head. “Sylvain…”

Sylvain held his hands up with a smile. “I’m doing better I promise!”

“Sounds like Sylvain is telling you his brilliant dating plan.” Felix said as Sylvain and Ashe approached the table. 

Ashe laughed. “Yeah he is. Hi everyone! It’s great to see you!”

“Ashe!” A chorus sounded from the table. Annette got up to hug Ashe along with Mercedes while Dimitri got up and gave Ashe a friendly slap on the back that nearly sent him out of Annette’s arms. Ashe had to push down the tears that welled up at the corner of his eyes. He worried that he was accidentally pushing his friends away when that didn’t seem to be the case. Ashe took a seat in between Dedue and Mercedes as Felix slid a menu his way. 

“Ashe, it’s good to see you, how’s Lonato doing?” Dimitri asked.

“Lonato is doing fine, the doctor said that he should be able to walk around soon. He really had us scared for a while, but he’s doing much better now.” Ashe said.

Dimitri nodded. “That’s good to know. How are you doing? How’s your family?” 

“Everyone is doing fine. David and Emma are going to come back to visit next weekend, but they’re doing really well in college. Christophe has taken over the company, though Lonato advises him on different things. I’m doing fine, I was thinking about maybe looking for work again.” Ashe said.

“Are you thinking of going back to working in a restaurant?” Dedue asked.

“I’d like to get back to work soon, though I don’t know if I can go back with Lonato’s schedule still not settled yet. I’ve been cooking again, mostly looking for flavors that work for Lonato’s stomach.” Ashe said.

“Ashe, if you need a job it would be no problem for me to get one for you.” Dimitri said.

“Yeah do you need a recommendation? I can write one up for you in no time.” Sylvain said.

Felix nodded. “It wouldn’t be hard to write one if you need it.”

“We may not have as much pull as we used to, still I can give you a recommendation.” Ingrid said.

Ashe shook his head. “I couldn’t ask you all to do that. Wouldn’t that be wrong?”

Sylvain scoffed. “People do this all the time. I’d rather do this for you than one of those kids who just want to impress my dad.”

“We wouldn’t offer it, if we didn’t want to do it.” Felix said.

Ingrid shot a look at Felix before turning a reassuring smile at Ashe. “We want to use our connections anyway we can. If it means helping you then we don’t mind doing it.”

Ashe returned the smile before he looked at the menu in front of him. “I wouldn’t want to do something like that, unless I really have to. If I can’t find anything I’ll be sure to ask for help, um, thanks.” 

“As Ingrid said it isn’t a problem, we want to be able to help you in any way that we can.” Dimitri said.

“Hmm, maybe you could go back to making videos again? I remember your videos were doing really good the last time you posted them. If you could find time to shoot again you might be able to get some practice while you’re waiting for your schedule to settle down.” Mercedes said.

“Yeah! That’s a great idea Mercie! I loved watching them and I’m sure we can help you get started! Did you need a room to film in?” Annette asked.

“Well, I do have a room at Lonato’s house, I could always wait for Caspar to go to the gym too. He’s a great friend and roommate, but I can’t record when he’s around. Linhardt doesn’t make much noise, I’m sure I could record when he’s napping.” Ashe said.

“If you need space to record I have room. I’m sure Lonato has a kitchen big enough for you to practice in, but we can provide the equipment that you’ll need. Please don’t hesitate to ask.” Dimitri said.

“If you need some fresh ingredients I can get some for you.” Dedue said.

“I’ll let people on my feed know to check in on your videos.” Sylvain said.

“If you need a recipe I’m sure I have some cookbooks lying around…” Felix said.

At the table, everyone started talking about what they could give Ashe along with how they could help out. Ashe couldn’t help sitting back with a smile, recording this time would be much different than last time when he managed to make videos out of his dorm in college. Still, being able to have such help did lift a weight off his shoulders. He always tried not to ask for Lonato for too many things even if Christophe would reassure him. He didn’t know what he did to become friends with Dimitri and the others, though he never questioned it. 

“I have been looking at videos again after I finish making Lonato’s lunch. I’ve seen a lot of great things and I have been thinking about making videos again.” Ashe said.

“Oh! Then you should look at this new channel I found! I hope you don’t mind makeup videos, but they have other things on their channel too!” Annette reached into her purse and pulled out her phone. She unlocked it then quickly tapped on her phone, she happily turned her phone towards Ashe and slid it over. “That’s the channel! They have such amazing beauty tips too!”

“Sounds great,” Ashe lifted the phone, his eyes widened when he saw the person on the screen. 

It was Yuri! He looked amazing! Ashe remembered how Yuri started to use eyeliner during the summer before he left, but he always wiped it off before he went home. Yuri always mentioned something about not wanting Roe to find out. Now he had the top beauty videos and was so close to a million viewers. Ashe watched the video Annette tapped where he tried out a new palette from the Gloucester Rose Collection. He had to pause the video or else he would end up staring while at dinner.

“Let me join their channel. I'll go watch his videos at home.” Ashe pulled out his phone then put in Yuri’s channel. He smiled as he handed Annette’s phone back to her. “Thank Annette!”

Annette took her phone back with a smile. “You’re welcome! I love this channel so much! Even if you don’t wear makeup I think you can still appreciate how he puts it on and shows so much care to the product too.” 

“Thanks, I can’t wait to watch him.” Ashe said. He turned to his food in an attempt to calm down. He couldn’t believe that he would be able to see Yuri again after all these years. He wondered if Yuri would answer his email or a DM. Yuri probably got so many emails would he notice someone from his past trying to contact him again? Ashe mulled over the decision while he ate, he was thankful that no one pushed him to join the conversation at the table. He was content to listen to his friends and enjoy their time together. 

Between dinner and listening to Sylvain’s current dating adventure three hours passed before Ashe knew it. Since Dimitri had to wake up early for a meeting tomorrow everyone started to pack up their leftovers and get ready to go. Dimitri paid for dinner and provided the tip, so Ashe didn’t have to worry about paying for his food. He did use the money to grab some dessert for him, his siblings, Caspar, and Linhardt. After he bought the dessert and packed up his leftovers he got up and walked out with everyone outside. Ashe stifled his yawn behind his hand while he waited for his car, something that didn’t go unnoticed by Mercedes. 

“Ashe, will you be able to drive home?” Mercedes asked.

Ashe nodded. “I’ll just drive with my windows down. The air can help me stay awake enough to make it home.”

Mercedes hummed. “I don’t know, you’ve been helping Lonato all day I’m sure you’re tired. Hmm, maybe someone should ride with you?”

Ashe shook his head. “I don’t want to take anyone out of their way…”

Felix walked over and held out his hand. “We’ll drive you home. Since Ingrid rode with us she can follow behind and then we’ll all go home together. Pull up your address on your phone and we’ll plug it in. You can go rest in the backseat, okay?”

Ashe couldn’t really argue that logic. He nodded and handed Felix his keys. “Thanks Felix.”

“I never knew you were so kind Felix.” Sylvain grinned.

Felix rolled his eyes as the valet pulled Ashe’s car forward. “Whatever, just get in the car.”

Sylvain chuckled then said his goodbyes to everyone with Ashe before he got in the passenger seat and Ashe got in the backseat with his food. He wiped away the tears building in the corner of his eyes. He really didn’t know what he did to get such sweet friends. Ashe ended up dozing off on the ride home, until Sylvain gently shook his shoulder. 

“We’re here Ashe, come on I’ll walk you to your apartment.” Sylvain said.

Ashe nodded. “Okay, thanks again for the ride Felix.”

“Anytime, have a good night Ashe.” Felix said.

Ashe grabbed his food and walked with Sylvain to his apartment while Felix parked his car. He turned around and waved to Ingrid then turned back around to go inside. Ashe lived with Caspar and Linhardt since they both came from well off families; they were able to get a four bedroom, three bathroom apartment. Ashe was going to move back home with Lonato when Caspar offered the extra room since one room would be the office. Ashe offered to cook dinner for them in exchange of his lowered rent. 

Sylvain stepped off the elevator with Ashe, he walked over to apartment 211 and knocked on the door. 

“Coming!” Caspar called out. It wasn’t long before he opened the door. “Hey Ashe! Thanks for bringing him home Sylvain.”

“Anytime, see you later Ashe.” Sylvain said.

Ashe smiled. “See you.” He waved at Sylvain and watched him walk back to the elevator before walking inside. 

“Here you go, I got some sweets for you and Linhardt.” Ashe handed the boxes over to Caspar. 

Caspar grinned. “Thanks! I can’t wait to let Linhardt know. How was your day? Did you have fun at dinner?”

“It was good. Lonato is doing much better and dinner was fun, I’ll let you know more after I get some sleep.” 

“Oh yeah, you got up early didn’t you? Okay, we’ll talk in the morning, good night Ashe!” 

“Night Caspar.” Ashe waved before he shuffled over to his room. He stifled another yawn when he nearly ran into Linhardt.

“Hey Lin, how are you?”

“Good, I’m just heading to the kitchen to grab something to drink before I return to my work. Are you off to bed?” Linhardt asked.

Ashe nodded. “Yep, I’ll tell you about my day after I get some sleep.”

Linhardt smiled. “Okay, sleep tight.” He continued on to the kitchen while Ashe walked to his room. 

When he got inside he managed to put on his sweatpants and a tshirt then got into bed. He reached for his phone and pulled up Yuri’s channel. He wondered if Yuri would respond to his email? Well, it was now or never since he was too sleepy for his normal worries to come to mind. Ashe opened his email and tapped out a message. He placed his old email at the end of it, if Yuri wanted to respond to that instead, and hit send. Ashe placed his phone on the night table and fell asleep.

*~*~*

Yuri finished taking off his makeup for the day, he put on a facemask and checked his email. It became part of his nighttime routine to check his email while he went through his face treatment. He scrolled through the offers, subscribers, and partner offers when one email caught his eye. 

“Wait...could it be…” Yuri opened it, he sat back and smiled while he read the message. 

Looks like he will be in contact with the little sparrow soon.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuri surprises Hapi, Constance, and Balthus by talking to someone on the phone during work hours. Who could this mysterious person be? Caspar and Linhardt have similar questions for Ashe. While Ashe floats a new career idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Thanks again for the support of the story! I really love YuriAshe and I wished they had a support but alas I have to write it which I don't mind cause I love them! I'm hoping to get the rest of the chapters out soon, so be on the lookout for it and the amazing art that accompanies it! 
> 
> Let's begin!

Yuri couldn’t believe it. It was really Ashe, his sweet childhood friend, reaching out to him again after all these years. At first he thought it was a fan who tried to get closer to him, until he saw the email address. No one else would have that address. He sent a response before he placed his phone down and got up to finish his nightly skin routine. 

It’s not like Yuri hadn’t thought about Ashe. How could he forget that bright smile or those kind green eyes. Even when he got in trouble in school he could always count on Ashe for help. He hated that he had to leave, spending time with Ashe was always the highlight of his day. He hated when he had to go back home to Rowe and his too strict household. To think Rowe spent so much time trying to make him into the perfect businessman just for him to run a company that went against what he believed in. It was one of the things that got him through the day. Yuri always meant to send an update to Ashe once things in his life settled down, yet once his videos started picking up steam and he got more partnerships and designing his own makeup line he ended up losing track of time. Yuri couldn’t believe that he had the chance to reconnect again. He wasn’t one to believe in fate, though he would let it slide just this once.

Once Yuri finished his routine he went through Ashe’s feed. There were many food pictures, cat pictures, and selfies of his family and friends. It looked like he became friends with Dimitri and his group of friends along with Annette and Mercedes. Yuri dated Sylvain for a brief period, he remembered hanging out with Sylvain and his friends, they were a good bunch of people. He was glad Ashe ran into them. Yuri scrolled further back to the food pictures of the various meals Ashe made. They were very good, he wondered why he stopped taking them. Well, he would find a chance to ask him soon. Yuri looked through his timeline one more time before he checked the time. He placed his phone on the charger and slipped into bed. He looked forward to hearing from his friend soon.

Yuri woke up the next morning and felt around for his phone. He wasn’t much of a morning person, but he had an unboxing video to record today that he had to get ready. Well, he could check his messages before he got up. Yuri pressed his inbox button, scrolling past notifications, partnership emails, new makeup releases, he stopped when he saw a reply to his message. Well, it wouldn’t be too bad if he responded. He sat up and slid his fingers through his hair as he smiled at the message. Ashe was still very sweet, Yuri was glad that didn’t change throughout the years. He invited Ashe to join his private messenger where they continued to talk while he got ready. Yuri enjoyed their conversation so much that he nearly forgot to check the time. 

Yuri put on some light foundation, eyeliner, and eyeshadow, it was an unboxing video so he didn’t need a full face of makeup. He grabbed his phone and carried it downstairs. Yuri chuckled at his screen on his way to the kitchen. He walked into the kitchen to see Hapi reaching up on the shelf for her cereal. She let out a triumphant sound when she pulled it down. She looked up when Yuri walked in. “Oh my goodness, is that Yuri bird up bright and early?” 

“Ha ha, very funny Hapi. I have an unboxing video today so I had to get up early to film it. I want to get it to Claude’s group for editing so it can be ready on Wednesday.” Yuri said. He placed his phone on the table and walked over to grab one of his bagels.

“You’re always on schedule so I wouldn’t worry about it.” Hapi said. She walked over on the fridge then stopped when she saw his phone. “Wait a minute, you never pull out your phone in the kitchen. Didn’t you say something about separating work from regular life?”

“If you must know it’s not work. I reconnected with an old friend and we’ve been talking. Since we’re so full of questions this morning.” Yuri said.

Hapi opened her mouth to respond when someone cleared their throat in the doorway. “Good morning everyone! I hope you all got some wonderful beauty sleep I know I did!”

“Good morning Constance.” Yuri said.

“Morning Coco, picked up some of those blueberry muffins too.” Hapi said.

“What a wonderful way to start the morning!” Constance walked in the kitchen and over to the counter when she stopped at the table. “What is this I see? Yuri’s phone on the table? I thought you declared that we have no phones while eating.”

“I’m making an exception for an old friend. I haven’t seen him in awhile, but one of his friends showed him my videos and he reached out to me. I can break the rules just this once.” Yuri said while he looked through the flavors of coffee. 

“Hmm, this old friend sounds very interesting. How long have you been friends?” Constance asked.

“If you must know we met when we were kids. I was Rowe’s kid, he was Lonato’s kid, and we clicked. If you want anymore you’re gonna have to pay me.” Yuri grinned as he grabbed his flavor and popped the cup into the machine. 

“I knew we wouldn’t get the full story. I’m surprised we got as much as we did.” Hapi said.

Constance sighed. “You and your secrets, Yuri. I hope we learn more about this friend one day!”

“What’s this about a friend?” Balthus asked as he scratched his head on his way in the kitchen.

“I’m surprised you’re even up this early B. I thought you went out with Holst last night?” Hapi asked.

Balthus nodded. “I did. I’m just grabbing some food and water so I can carry it back to my room. I don’t have a video to record today so I may have partied a bit harder last night.”

“That doesn’t sound like an accurate word to describe your party. You look awful.” Hapi said as she took a bite of cereal. 

“I feel even worse.” Balthus groaned. He grabbed two water bottles and a bowl of leftover from the fridge. He put the water bottle on his forehead on his way over to the microwave. “Wait, did you mention Yuri’s old friend?”

“I’m surprised you can remember that with your hangover, but yes if you must know I’m talking to my old friend. We’ve been talking for most of the morning.” Yuri carried his coffee over to the table. He took a seat and tapped the screen.

“Woah this friend must be great if you’re breaking your rule.” Balthus said.

Yuri chuckled. “Yes, I know I’m blowing your minds this fine morning.” 

Hapi hummed. “Are you sure he’s your friend? You know people will try to make up anything to be able to see you since you’re popular. Don’t want someone to come by just to try to kill you or kidnap you.” 

“Hapi! That’s such a dark way to look at it!” Constance exclaimed.

Hapi shrugged. “Hey, you can never be too sure nowadays.”

Yuri shook his head. “He put his old email in the message, the one we set up before I moved away. He’s the only one I know who’s into this knight series who would come up with a name like that. Thanks for the concern, you care about me after all.” 

Hapi grinned. “Hey got to make sure you’re around so we can get paid.” 

Constance shook her head at Hapi as Yuri chuckled. “I appreciate your honesty Hapi.”

“Always,” Hapi said.

“Well, those unpleasant thoughts aside are you going to try to meet with him again? Does he live in the city?” Constance asked.

“I’m gonna ask him after I finish my video.” Yuri said.

“Oh! Maybe you can see him! That would be exciting!” Constance happily clapped her hands together.

“Not so loud!” Balthus groaned. He opened the microwave, grabbed his food, a bottle of aspirin, and his water bottles. “Hey hope your friend isn’t a killer or anything. I’ll talk about this when my head stops pounding.”

Constance sighed. “Here let me help you before you drop something on the way to your room. I’ll be back, make sure to tell me more about this wonderful friend of yours!” She got up and took the water bottles out of Balthus’ arms on their way out of the kitchen.

“I want to know more about them too. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look so happy at your phone before. This friend must be great.” Hapi said.

Yuri smiled at his phone. “He is…”

*~*~*

“I think that’s the longest I’ve ever seen you on your phone Ashe.” Caspar said.

Linhardt nodded. “Did Sylvain send you one of his dating stories again?”

Ashe looked up with a sheepish smile. “Well, I got in contact with an old friend yesterday and we’ve been spending this time catching up. I had no idea that he’s a makeup giant now. Annette showed me one of his videos yesterday and I knew it was him.”

“Are you sure it’s him? Does he know it’s you?” Linhardt asked.

Ashe nodded. “I got an email on my old email account from him. It’s one I made when he told me he was going to leave. Before you ask if I got hacked he remembers one of my knight books so I know it’s actually him.” He quickly added when Linhardt opened his mouth.

Linhardt closed his mouth and nodded. “As long as you made sure that you know it’s him then that’s fine.”

“Man how cool is it that you’re catching up with him again! Does he live in the city?” Caspar asked.

“He said he’ll let me know when he’s finished recording his new video.” Ashe said.

“Oh that’s why you stopped looking at your phone.” Linhardt said with a small smile.

Ashe flushed as he gathered his plate. “I finished eating too you know!”

“And you finished looking at your phone!” Caspar sang while Linhardt laughed behind his hand.

“I hate it when you two work together.” Ashe shook his head on his way to the sink. He looked up when Caspar placed an arm around his shoulder. “You know we’re just teasing!”

Ashe laughed. “I know, still it’s not fair.”

Caspar laughed. “So, what’s the news you wanted to tell us last night?”

“Oh! I was thinking of making my cooking videos again. I remember I had a lot of fun making them when I was in college, so I wanted to try again. Everyone at dinner gave me a lot of great suggestions on how to get started. I wanted to ask if I could use the kitchen.” Ashe said.

“Of course you can! Just let us know whenever you want to use it! You know I really use the microwave and I can boil an egg now too.” Caspar said.

“Thank you for teaching him how to do that, by the way.” Linhardt closed his book. “Is there anything you need? We could probably go get it today.”

“Yeah! Do you know what you’re going to make first?” Caspar asked.

“I don’t know yet I haven’t even decided when I’m going to start!” Ashe placed the clean plate in the dishrack. “Thanks for the help guys. I really appreciate it.”

“Anytime! Come on let’s go pick out things now!” Caspar happily tugged him into the living room towards his laptop. 

“Don’t forget your phone.” Linhardt grinned as he picked up his book and carried it into the living room. 

Ashe knew his ears were red on his way back to the kitchen to pick up his phone. Well, it looked like things were off to a good start. He may be looking forward to talking to Yuri throughout the day.

*~*~*

Once Yuri finished his video he sent it off to Claude for editing. Claude was a good editor and one of his favorite exes. Their relationship started off easy and ended the same way. They stayed in contact, meeting up every once in a while, later on becoming work partners when Claude announced his company and Yuri’s makeup videos started to grow in popularity. Claude had a company that provided many services. 

There was his talent as an editor and promoter of different video makers then there was Hilda who ran her own design company and crafting channel. Ignatz, his illustrator, who did covers for videos along with books and other creative projects. Raphael, a food blogger who loved trying food in different places. Lysithea, who had a channel that specialized in sweets, cakes, and wellness help on the weekends. Marianne who made wellness videos about learning how to love yourself again. She made appearances on Hilda’s channel from time to time. Leonie who had a survival channel and was a guest on budget channels. Lorenz who was another beauty blogger with his own makeup line and merchandise. Yuri had to admit Claude ran a steady and good business with his deers as he called them, which made him the perfect person to handle the editing side of things. 

Once he finished he placed his makeup away, cleaned his face, changed into something casual, and grabbed his phone to chat with Ashe some more. He may have been a little eager to continue talking to his friend again. It seems that things in Ashe’s life had changed since they last talked. Ashe finished college, started his videos again, but stopped once Lonato became sick. It eased Yuri’s worries to know that Lonato was getting better again. Maybe he would go visit him when he had time. 

“Wow, still on the phone? Is this around the time you take your nap Yuri?” Hapi asked as she walked in the living room.

“I’m going to take one soon. I just wanted to talk a little more to Ashe, that’s all.” Yuri said.

Hapi laughed as she took a seat on the couch. “I can’t remember a time you talked to someone this long on the phone. So, when are you going to meet?”

“Since he lives in the city we decided on a day when we have a break in our schedules. I am hoping for this weekend, my model has another appointment and I don’t need to have the current palette video out, until the week after so I’m sure I’ll have time.”

“You want to see him in person too? Now I really want to meet this guy if you're willing to rearrange your schedule for him.”

“I’m not rearranging anything I just lucked into some free time.”

“ _Sure_ Yuri and I’m going to start making beauty videos.”

Yuri chuckled. “Won’t that interfere with your book videos?”

“I’d make it work.” Hapi stretched her arms over head as she laid out on the couch. “So what does your friend do? Does he make videos too?”

“I haven’t seen anything, but I’ll ask him. Right now he’s not working anywhere, he quit to take care of his adopted father.”

“Really? That’s awfully nice of him. His father must be rich if he can do that.”

“Well, he’s been doing pretty very good with his business so he’s taken care of. Besides, I remember his dad, he was very nice, much better than mine.”

“You’re even sharing more of your history too? This day just gets better and better. Are you going to reveal any more of your past today?”

Yuri shook his head. “No, not today, I’m all done with sharing.” He stood up and grabbed his phone off the couch. “I’m gonna go take my nap now and we can talk about dinner when I’m up.”

“Okay, don’t sleep too long or we’ll order just bread.” 

“Ha ha,” Yuri said on the way to his room. When he got inside he set his alarm, sent a message to Ashe that he would be back in two hours, and placed his phone on his night table. He laid down as he thought back to the conversations he had with Ashe. He sent some pictures of how he looked now, he grew up to be so handsome. Yuri wasn’t surprised he was super cute as a kid now he had grown into his looks. He felt a familiar bloom start to grow in his heart when he thought back to his picture. Would he have to squash it again? Well, time would tell, at least for now he could enjoy himself. 


End file.
